Monday, October 01, 20071191246020

Russia, Iran, and Distraction

The article describes Russia's scelerotic attempts to regain influence throughout the former Soviet bloc. Two things are clear: Russia is against democratization throughout eastern Europe and central Asia, and is becoming exactly as incompetent as an oil- and natural-gas- exporting country is expected to be. (When was the last time you saw geopolitical brilliance out of Saudi Arabia, or Venezuela, or...).

Unfortunately, Russia is able to hold American policy hostage because of her clientele with Iran. Whenver Russia wants America to look away, she supports this- or that- Iranian program, forcing Washington to make a deal to get the bear off her back.

A weakened Iran, of course, would hold less interest in the world, allowing America to focus on a "9/12" policy of supporting globalization and democracy.

Comments

Wait you guys have a democratization policy in central asia? Silly me thinking it was about oil, pipelines and missiles. I think Russia's policy is the same as yours have been in south america, well perhaps not quite that agressive. Russia offered to build a nuclear reactor together with Iran in Russian territory, unfortunately the USA disagreed.

The point I was trying to make, although in a clumsy way was that, yes Russia wants to be able to influence these countries on some key issues, but I don't think that has to equate to having an anti democratic policy, it could even mean the opposite as long as those key issues are not compromised. The US also has an interest in having a say on some key issues in these states but i'm not sure that this equates to having a pro democracy policy.